Language Movement Sustain the Bengali Nationalism

 

The nation always pays homage to Rafiq, Salam, Jabbar, Barkat and all those who were martyred on this Language movement. February is the month of language among Bengali speakers not only in Bangladesh but all over the world. There was a movement before. The movement of people fighting for language. After the success of this movement, that is, after the recognition of Bangla as the state language, this movement came to an end. This event is held all over the world. When Bengali is the state language of an independent country.

Bangladesh is the only country in the world whose people have had to shed blood for the right to speak their language. We are the only brave nation that has defeated a well-trained, well-equipped Pakistan army. In 1947, the British government decided independence to Pakistan on 14 August. But the Pakistani ruling class continued to exploit the people of Bengal culturally, politically and economically. Only 8% of Urdu-speaking people declare Urdu to be the state language of Pakistan where more than 56% are Bengali-speaking. The people of Bengal strongly protested against this decision.

Although two separate independent states, Pakistan and India, were born from the British in 1947 based on the two-nation theory, the Bengalis were a completely different ethnicity. East Bengal became a meeting place of non-communal consciousness. On that day, people from all walks of life, starting from students and people, formed mass resistance irrespective of religion and caste. The day was March 21, 1948. On the racecourse ground in Dhaka, Jinnah dealt a severe blow to Bengali nationalism. He said Urdu would be the national language of Pakistan and not any other language. The same announcement was made again at the convocation of Dhaka University on 24 March. "Urdu and only Urdu will be the state language of Pakistan," he said. The students present at the time started protesting.

On 21 February 1952, the children of Bengali heroes gave their lives to protect the dignity of their mother tongue. The seeds of our nationalism were sown by pouring fresh blood on the streets of Dhaka, which has finally inspired us and given us courage. Pushing for our autonomy and later our liberation from the Pakistani restraints, through the great war of liberation, through a bloody war.

We have had to fight and fight to uphold the dignity of our national pride. As far as the Bengalis are concerned, the aspiration to break free from the shackles of exploitation has gained a lot of momentum in making it a reality. When the world witnessed the political movement of the sixties, the 11 point demands of the Awami League were adopted in the six-point charter, the mass movement of 1969 and finally the liberation war of 1971 which was the birth of Bangladesh.

Even today, we are relentlessly trying to make its proper manifestation in the state and society in the democratic consciousness, which is at the heart of the events that created the chapters that changed the nation's course, like the language movement and liberation war. As a result, UNESCO recognized February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999 and since 2000, February 21 has been celebrated as International Mother Language Day every year in 193 countries. This is a big step in the process of globalization of Bengal.

The International Mother Tongue Institute has been established, but it cannot be said that there is no progress in the introduction of Bengali? But it may not be as it should have been. To build a welfare state and establish good governance and justice, it is important to ensure one-sided education to eliminate inequality. We should not confine these issues to only informalities and discussions in the month of language. At the same time, we have to keep in mind that we should not forget the promises of 1952 and 1971. If we want to build our desired Bangladesh, then we have to move forward with the consciousness of those chapters.

In 1947, the country was divided by capitalizing on a religion based on the two-nation theory. The people of East Pakistan at that time were the victims of thousands of discriminations in West Pakistan. The most glorious chapter in the accumulation of anger and self-respect of the people of East Pakistan began with the great language movement. The united movement for the realization of this right of mother tongue later took shape in the independence movement.

The importance of the language movement in awakening the consciousness of rights and freedom of Bengalis is immense. The language movement of 1952 has always directly and indirectly affected all our political, social and cultural activities. The influence was so far-reaching that a relationship was established between ordinary and political people. Confidence in each other was established, which accelerated the liberation struggle of the nation.

It was through the language movement that the first rebellious attitude against the rule and exploitation of Pakistan was manifested in the Bengali heart. It can be said that the language movement was the beginning of the realization of all kinds of rights of Bengalis. Through the language movement, the people of Bengal began to be aware of their demands.

The language movement instilled morale and confidence in the minds of the people which awakened the spirit of nationalism and gave rise to it. The education movement of 1962, the six-point movement of that year, the mass uprising of 1969, the election of 1970 and the independence struggle of 1971 created the spirit and strength of language consciousness in every field.

In 1969, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had raised the issue of full regional autonomy for East Pakistan. In the 1970 elections, the Awami League-led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman won a majority seat in the National Assembly to form the government. But that was never to be. On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight and the world witnessed brutality that is rarely seen in the world. In the great war of liberation, we have lost 3 million freedom fighters and freedom-loving people and 2 lakh mothers and sisters have been subjected to humiliation. But the people of Bangladesh have not given up and they have won. They have gained their freedom. The people of Bengal have been able to establish their rights and our mother tongue has won.

The demands of the state language movement were increasing. On 23rd February this year, East Bengal educationists, writers, journalists and intellectuals submitted a memorandum to the then Chief Minister Nurul Amin for the introduction of the Bengali language at all levels. February 21, 1952 Section 144 was issued all over the country. From that morning onwards, students started gathering in groups in front of the Faculty of Arts of Dhaka University. The objective was to be vocal in demanding the Bengali language and to ensure full rights of mother tongue. 'I want Bangla as the state language' can be heard in the air all around. The procession was taken out in violation of section 144. When the police encountered obstacles on the way, it turned into a clash.

Bangabandhu made arrangements for his language to gain international recognition by giving a speech in Bengali at the United Nations. Speaking in Bengali, Bangabandhu not only introduced the Bengali language to the world community but also conveyed the message of establishing the status of mother tongue in return for the self-sacrifice of Bengalis through their characteristics and language-based nationalist movement. But how sustainable is the language that has so much movement, so much self-sacrifice to establish its status today? Not only in Bangladesh, but in many countries of the world, the number of people forgetting their mother tongue is increasing. A significant number of educated youth in our country find Bengali more difficult than English. Due to the aggression of the English language, the language of many countries is now in crisis.

It has been 70 years from 1952 to 2022. Bangladesh has faced many major obstacles, we have overcome them and we are still standing straight and we will remain indomitable as long as we remember our history and culture. As long as we remember our past, present and future, no one can stop Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has now established a respectable and strong position on the world map. Bangladesh's name is being used loudly in world politics, Bangladesh today is a model of development. In the new world, Bangladesh is facing new challenges and is successfully addressing them efficiently. The MDGs and the SDGs are still holding the signature of expertise in implementation. We must always move forward in the spirit of nationalism. Bengalis have never lost in the past, nor will they lose in the future. With the cooperation of all, regardless of party affiliation, Bangladesh must stand tall among the different nations of the world.


Hiren Pandit is a Researcher
& Columnist